Casper Waithaka
27 August 2008
Nairobi — Residents of Nairobi's Makongeni estate will have to pay two months' rent in advance and clear arrears for the months of July and August before September 2, this year.
These are just some of the measures that the Kenya Railways Pensions Board has slapped on residents to ensure they do not default in future.
Pensioners
According to the board's chief executive, Mr Mathews Tuikong, the new measures will ensure that railway pensioners were paid without delay.
Proceeds from the houses pay pensioners who worked for the Kenya Railways Corporation, which later became Rift Valley Railways.
Residents interviewed by the Nation on Wednesday said the measures would put them under a lot of financial strain.
They urged the board to take into consideration the effort they had put in clearing the arrears.
Ms Caroline Bosire said she was informed of the new directive when she presented her bank slip to the pensions board after paying the July rent.
"They should have made arrangements for us to pay in instalments," said the mother of two, who works as a debt collector with a security firm. "Where will I get Sh10,000 in a month?" She said that most residents were casual labourers and should be given time to budget for the new rent of Sh2,500.
Relocated
Mr Tuikong said since the evictions started residents have been paying up.
"We have received nearly Sh2 million from the Makongeni residents ... this is very encouraging.
"I urge residents to comply to avoid eviction," he said.
The evictions began on Monday with police forcibly moving defaulting residents whose belongings were bundled into lorries destined for the Railways headquarters.
One person was shot when police and youths clashed during the evictions.
By Wednesday, more than 100 houses had been vacated.
Mr Alfred Onyango, a resident, said most of the defaulters had relocated to Kariobangi, Mathare and Riruta to stay with relatives.
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